


Noodle incident

by Arualiaa



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Bisexual Murdoc, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Internalized Homophobia, Murdoc is gross but he tries to parent, Noodle plays Pokemon, Phase Two (Gorillaz), Queer Noodle, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 02:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18864304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arualiaa/pseuds/Arualiaa
Summary: What happened to Noodle in Japan to write such a sad album? That's all Murdoc wants to know.





	Noodle incident

It was a quiet evening when Murdoc dropped the bomb. Noodle had been leaning against him, having found a comfortable position where they were lazily sprawled across the sofa.

Murdoc had actually taken a shower that week, so it was nice to be within arm distance.

“So. Noods,” the bassist began, not bothering to lower the volume of the reality show playing on the telly. He was close enough to be heard. “This album you've written. There's some pretty sad songs in it, yeah? Love songs.”

The teen looked up from her Gameboy Advance, raising an eyebrow. She had a faint inkling on where this could be going, but chose not to give anything away.

“Did’ya write them for someone?”

And there it went. Noodle huffed, lowering her gaze once more and obscuring her face with her fringe even further. She saved her game right before the gym leader, sensing that maybe she would turn the game off mid-battle out of frustration. Or embarrassment. Or both.

“…maybe,” she finally said, as the battle began and she sent out her Combusken.

Did she mention she was playing Pokémon Emerald? Because she was playing Pokémon Emerald.

“Maybe? Just maybe? Ahh, c’mon! You hav’ta tell me who it is, luv. I don't make the rules.”

“No, I don't have to tell you! It's my privacy!” She said, looking away. She couldn't tell if her face felt warm because of anger, or because she thought of…

Well.

“Ah yes, the joys of being a teenage girl. Everythin’s suddenly private.” The bassist rolled his eyes, but he was clearly amused by the whole ordeal. The arsehole. “Unless… it's someone in the band…?”

This made Noodle very visibly sputter. She imagined each of her bandmates, and certainly couldn't picture herself kissing any of them. Russell, who practically raised her, and she'd caught several times reading in the toilet with his trousers around his ankles? 2D, who she sometimes felt was even younger than her, and made an habit out of picking his nose with his tongue?

And she most definitely did _not_ want to think about Murdoc. No thanks.

“Wait, what? No! Eww! You don't know the person.”

“A-ha! So there _is_ someone!” Murdoc exclaimed triumphantly. “Also, I'm taking offence. Just so ya know. You're friends with some hot stuff.”

“Sure you are,” she said dismissively, hoping he’d forget about the original question entirely.

She had no such luck.

“So, if I don't know the fella, what's wrong with me knowing anyway? There's nothin’ to be embarrassed of.” He started picking at his nails. They were chipped and cracked, tiny bits of black nail polish still clinging to them stubbornly. “It's not like you could score someone worse than good ol’ Murdoc Niccals. I'm one of a kind.”

Finally, Noodle relented. She selected ‘peck’ from her Combusken’s attacks, and watched it completely destroy Brawly’s Machop. Ka-boom.

“I… met her in Japan.”

Murdoc's eyes widened in understanding. “Ooooh, a lady. You should just have said that.” His voice was casual as he reached for the bag of crisps at his side and pulled it open. He looked disdainfully at it, upon realizing more than half of it was just air.

Noodle waited with bated breath, but was only faced with the bassist stuffing his face with the greasy crisps. Finally, she spoke.

“You don't mind that she's a girl?”

“Bit hypocritical of me if I did, innit?” Murdoc raised an eyebrow. “Why’d I have any say on what you like and don't like? You know I swing both ways.”

“Yes, but. You also do lots of bad things you’d be upset if I did.” Noodle very rarely sounded meek, but this was one of those times.

Murdoc’s face underwent an impressive transformation. It went from relaxed to horrified in what she was sure to be less than a second. She thought he would start yelling, but instead he made a gesture for her to turn round to face him. When she did so, he placed both his hands on her shoulders. They were oily from the crisps, but she had his undivided attention.

“Listen, luv. I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention, a’ight?” He looked dead serious. “I'm not a good person. M’not daft, y’know. And I know I pull all sorts of horrible crap. But hear me out: if there's _one_ thing I do that wouldn't send me straight to Hell, it's shagging blokes. And don't let _anyone_ feed you that shite, either.”

Noodle watched him in stunned silence. He carried on.

“I don't know if you also like boys or not, and I don't really care either way. But if you want’ta go after a bird? Go for it. Get that bird’s number. Date that bird. I don't care. None of us would.” Murdoc shrugged, but then smiled devilishly. “Only way we’d care is if she broke your heart. That's when we avenge you.”

“Would you break her nose like Russell broke yours?” She pointed out, sceptically. Murdoc winced.

“Wot, are you bonkers? I've already been to jail once, I won't beat up a little girl. I have standards, ya know.”

Noodle sighed in relief.

“So. Who's the lucky girl?”

So much for a reprieve… even though she _did_ feel more at ease. The teen sighed, shaking her head. “No, she… she doesn't like girls. That's- that's why I'm sad.” Noodle looked down, at her long-forgotten gameboy. The gym battle music still played faintly.

Murdoc seemed deep in thought, too. “Give me her email.”

“What? Why?” She frowned.

“To hurt her feelings anonymously, of course. What else would I ask her email for?”

“You're not going to send Yumi hatemail!” She exclaimed, outraged. It wasn't her fault that she didn't like girls! She didn't deserve that!

She… she…

Murdoc was laughing.

“So that's her name, eh?” He grinned at her, all yellowing, sharp teeth. “Don't worry, Noods. I won't tell your ladylove to sod off for being blind.”

By this point, Noodle’s ears were already a bright red. “Blind?” She grumbled.

“Well, yeah. You may like that one now, but there's plenty of other birds who'd be all over a lovely girl like you,” Murdoc said, ruffling her hair and uncovering her eyes. “You're a celebrity, luv. And a cute one at that. You'll find someone who's almost as brilliant and cool as you are, and likes you back.”

He said that with the finality he used to state ‘Gorillaz is the best thing that could have ever happened to Britain’, so he must mean it. And it made Noodle believe it a little more.


End file.
